Motor vehicle air conditioning apparatus



R. F. ROPER MOTOR VEHICLE/ RIB CONDITIONING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed May 19, 1945 Richard R Roper Aug. 30, 1949.

R. F. ROPER MOTOR VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed May 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmw JQz'elzafd RRopez Aug. 30, 1949. R. F. ROPER MOTOR VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 19, 1945 Riqha 2 21 ERG A Aug. 30, 1949. R. F ROPER r 2,480,510

MOTOR VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS 4 Filed May 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IOO Patented Aug. 30, 1949 Moron VEHICLE AIR. commonmd arrnna'rus Richard F. Roper, Washington, D. 0. Application May 19, 1945, Serial No. 584,609

14 Claims. '(Cl. 82-129) 1 The present invention rel-ates to air conditioning apparatus and, more particularly, o unit air conditioners or the portable type, adapted'to be positioned in individual rooms in buildings, to

cool, dehumidify and otherwise condition the air thereln.- The invention also has to do with air conditioning units of this type, particularly adapted to be installed in and used with passenger motor vehicles, to cool and condition the air in the interior, passenger space thereof.

One-of the primary obj cts of the invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus of increased capacity in a minimum of space, and to re-arrange the elements of the apparatus so that a casing or casings of minimum size may be employed. A further object of the inventionis to provide novel casing means for a portable, .unit air conditioner, which minimizes the space required within the room to be cooled and conditioned, and which is inherently pleasing in appearance as well as unusually efficient in use.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the elements of an air conditioning apparatus that their relative positions contribute most effectively to eflicient operation and inherently take advantage of thermo-dynamic effects in the system.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for removably mounting an air conditioning apparatus in the luggage compartment of a conventional motor vehicle.

Another important object is to provide a port able, unit air conditioner which may be driven by a small gasoline engine as the power plant thereof, or which may employ an electric motor, in substitution for the engine, if so desired.

A further object is to provide an apparatus 01 this type which is particularly adapted for export use, on a rental basis in foreign countries, where electric current supply is scarce and, where present, is of widely differing type from that used in this country, thereby making the use of standard electric motors of the kind used here, impractical. To this end, a small gasoline engine is provided as the prime mover. The apparatus has been designed to carry out a plan in accord ance with which the units will be shipped .to South America, for use on a rental basis during the summer months in the lands below the equator, when they would not be used in theNorth- 2 cause of the, widely difiering types of electric cur rent supplied by theutilities in diflerent South American countries and as compared to that used in the United States. By the'substitlltlon of a small gasoline engine; the plan is made entirely practical. Moreover, ii the lessees in this country so desire, the gasoline engine may be removed, and a standard electric motor substituted, for use where current is readily available.

Other and'i'urther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the follow-ins description or the embodiments in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view or an apparatus, looking toward the portion of the casing which is adapted to be positioned in the room.

Figure 2 is a similar view, as seen from the other direction, with certain parts indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section and plan view, with certain parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a vertical section and through evap orator chamber.

Figure 5 is an end view, on a reducedv scale,

howing the apparatus installed in a window opening.

Figure .6 is a rear view, in partial section, showing the installation or the unit in an automobile.

Figure 7 is a side view corresponding to Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a P rspective viewof a modified form of refrigerant cooler and fan shroud.

Figure 9 is a vertical section on line 9-9 oi Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a modified form of evaporator.

As shown in Figures 1-5, the casing for the air conditioner comprises a lower section III for the hot side of the refrigerating apparatus and anupper section II for the cold side, These sections may be separately fabricated and seas described below. By having the upper 580- tion smaller and positioned upon the lower secern Hemisphere, and then shipped back to this country for use in the warm weather here, when they would notbe used in the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere. Such a plan of merchandising has heretofore been impractical, be-

cured together by any appropriate means, or ,may be unitaryv in construction. The lower casing section, which houses the driving motor, the compressor and the condenser, is considerably larger than the upper section, which simply contains the. evaporator and an indoor air circulating fan,

tion, the massive appearance of the apparatus is broken up, and an illusion of smallness is created. The upper section may be difierently colored from the lower, if desired,.to enhance this eil'ect, and to make it appearthatone small casing.

no larger than a portable radio receiving set is opening hood l4, removably bolted or otherwise secured to the casing, to protect the condenser from the weather, and to provide a passageway for an upwardly flowing stream'of condenser cooling air, circulated through the casing by a centrifugal fan l5, positioned within a fan housing 18, also bolted or. otherwise secured to the rear end of the casing Hi.

The fan is mounted upon a shaft l1, driven by a small, air cooled gasolineengine i8 mounted on the chassis I2 and adapted to drive a compressor i9 by means of a V-belt 2B, trained about pulleys 2!, 22 on the crank shaft of the engine and on the driving shaft of the compressor, re-

. spectively.

The engine is provided with a combined generator and starter motor 23,of well-known type, connected to the crank shaft by a chain or V- belt 24. The motor 23 may be employed to charge a storage battery, not shown, which serves as a source of power for starting and for normally driving the fan motor, hereinafter referred to, for circulating the indoor air through the evaporator, to be cooled and dehumidifled.

Behind the condenser 13, and positioned angularly with respect thereto, there is a. supplemental condenser 30, in, series with the firstmentioned condenser, and adapted to deliver refrigerant to a receiver 3|, fromwhich the refrigerant flows through an expansion valve, in the usual manner, to the evaporators. The particular way in which the supplemental condenser is positioned, to receive the full benefit of the condenser cooling air stream, without unduly obstructing its flow, is important.

- The fan housing l6, secured to a plate 32, bolted or otherwise secured to the rear, open end of the casing i3, is provided with an axial inlet 33 and a tangential downwardly directed discharge conduit 34, the major portion of the housing being scroll-shaped, as at 35. Air drawn through the opening 33 into the central portion of the fan rotor I5 is discharged radially and circumferentially by centrifugal force and impinges against the inner surface of the scroll portion 35, around which it flows until it is discharged downwardly through the conduit 34.

The exhaust gases from the gasoline engine I! are discharged through'a mufller 36, into the inlet opening 33 of the fan housing,'with the result that they flow outwardly with the heated condenser cooling air. I

It will be apparent that air will be drawn upwardly through the hood i4, and through the condenser 30 into the casing. The direction of air movement turns after passing through the condenser, and a portion thereof flows over the compressor [9 to cool it, whileanother portion flows through the supplemental condenser 3|! and past the receiver 3!. On its way to the inlet opening 33 of the fan housing, the air also passes 4 over and around the gasoline engine II and maintains it in reasonably coolcondition.

Around the inner surface of the scroll portion 35 of the fan housing, there is arranged. along a serpentine path, a tube 31 for hot refrigerant, leading from .the compressor II to the condenser i3.' Hence, the highly heated, compressed refrigerant passes first through a tube associated with the fan housing and in position to receive a strong blast of air discharged centrifugally by the fan rotor.

The lower portion of the scroll section 33, as indicated at 38, laterally of the discharge conduit 34, constitutes a trough for the reception of water, which may be evaporated by the heat of the refrigerant in the tube 31, thereby to reduce the refrigerant temperature. The water may be water of condensation collected by the evaporator and delivered to the trough, as hereinafter explained, or a separate source of supply may be provided, to maintain a substantial volume of water in the trough continuously. particularly in relatively dry places, where the humidity of the air is low and little, if any, moisture collects upon the evaporators.

The end walls 40, 4! of the evaporator casing H are preferably provided with openings 42, 43, and the top wall M is provided with a central opening 45. A fan l6, driven by an electric motor 41 draws indoor air inwardly through the end openings 42 and 43, then through the two evaporators 48, A9, and finally discharges the air upwardly through the opening 45. Above the latter opening there is a circular, rotatable adjustable louvre plate 50, adapted to deflect the air discharged by the fan laterally or forwardly, depending upon its rotational adjustment.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the evaporators l8 and 48 are mounted on inclined planes, extending from the upper margins of the end wall openings to the floor of the upper casing ",so that the air stream readily passes therethrough, as it changes its direction from the horizontal to the vertical. Moreover, by this arrangement,

evaporators'of larger dimensions and therefore of greater capacity may be positioned within a smaller casing.

Pans SI, 52, positioned below the evaporators collect water of condensation, condensed on the evaporator tubes and fins from the air flowin through the upper casing. A pipe 53 establishes communication between the two pans, and a drain pipe 54 leads through the floor of the upper casing and the top wall of the lower casing, to discharge into the trough 38, below the axial inlet 33 of the fan housing. Hence, the water of condensation is automatically delivered to the fan housing for evaporation therein. In the event that water collects more rapidly than can be evaporated, it will be discharged by the fan blades or by the stream of air flowing over its surface. It has been found in actual practice that large quantities of water can be disposed of in this manner since the fan and the air stream tend to distribute the water all the way around the inner surface of the scroll section 35, in contact with the tube 31, for evaporation by the heat thereof.

The apparatus of the present invention is adapted to be mounted, as shown in Figure 5, in a window opening 55, below the sash 58, and supported upon the sill 51. The upper casing II and the front portion of the lower casing iii are positioned inwardly of the window line, while the rear portion of the latter, the hood i4 and the fan housing 16 are positioned outdoors, exteriorl-y of the building wail. Hence, condenser and compressor cooling air is drawn into the casing from the outdoors and again discharged outwardly,

whfle indoor air, to be cooled and conditioned, is drawn inwardly through the end wall openings in the upper casing and discharged .upwardly through the opening-l and the adjustable distributing plate, 80. This arrangement provides an ideal air circulating system, since the cold air, projected upwardly, tends to displace hot air in the upper portion of the room, which is then jected upwardly. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the apparatus of thepresent invention is particularly adapted to be installed in the rear luggage compartment of a drawn into the casing to be cooled and again promotor vehicle. Preferably, two supporting rails 88, 8! are welded or bolted to the floor of the lug- The duct 88 may be connected to the H by a readily detachable, flexible, heavy canvas sleeve,

88, while the discharge duct 88 is similarly connected to the discharge conduit 88 by a flexible,

- canvas sleeve 88. Hence,'the outdoor air for cooling the compressor, the condenser, and the internal combustion engine in the lower casing It will be drawn upwardly and inwardly through conduit 88, sleeve 85, and hood I4, and will be discharged by the centrifugal fan through the fan housing conduit 88, the sleeve 86 and the rearwardly facing discharge pipe 64.

The air in the interior of the vehicle is prefer-- ably circulated to and from the evaporator casing through openings 81, 88,- 88, formed in a panel I8, adapted to replace the panel conventionally employed in many types of automobile between the back of the rear seat and the streamlined stern portion 12 of the vehicle. The openings may be covered with appropriate grill work, and the panel Ill-serves as a convenient means for sup--v portingthe control devices for the air conditioning apparatus.

.Flexible conduits l3, l8 establish communication between the openings 81, 88 and the end wall openings 42, 48 in the evaporator" casing ll.

These conduits like the one mentioned above, may

be flexible and readily detachable, and made from heavy canvas, reinforced if desired by metal rings or a continuous spring coil. Similarly, the-open-.

ing 88 in the panel may be connected to the top 9 wall opening in .the evaporator casing H by a flexible conduit 15. i

From, the above, it will be understood that air in the interior of the vehicle will be drawn downwardly through openings 81 and 68 in the panel 18 into the evaporator chamber ll, andthrough.

the evaporator. It will be cooled and -dehumidified by thiscirculation, and discharged back into the interior of the vehicle through the topopening in the casing, the conduit "I8 and the opening 88.

When it is desired to remove the air conditioning unit from the vehicle, for service or repair, or for storage or shipment to other parts of the world during winter months, it is simply necessary to disconnect the flexible sleeves or conduits 88, 88, II, II and 18 and remove the unit from the luggage compartment. The several openings may be closed, if desired, by the use of suitable closure means.

In Figures 8 and 8, a modiiledtype of fan and fan housing is disclosed. In. this case, a conventional propeller type fan '88, mounted on a shaft 8| is disposed within a shroud 82, formed by a continuous coil of tubing 88. The successive convolutions are secured to each other, as by solder 84. It will be noted that the diameters of the successive convolutions increase progressively in both directions from a minimum at the mid-plane, as indicated at to a maximumin the inner and outer ends 88, 81. Plates88, 88,

constituting part ofthe casing means for the shroud, are provided with circular openings 88, 8|, the former being equal in size to the diameter of the largest convolution and the latter being of the same diameter as the smallest convolution, at the center. The space 82, inwardly of the discharge opening 8| behind the plate 88, constitutes a trough for the reception of water of condensation delivered by a pipe 83 from the associatedevaporator, or for cooling water deiivered by said pipe from any other source. It will be noted that the form of the shroud 82 is generally that of a venturi and that its walls are constituted by a conduit for hot refrigerant, so that the maximum cooling eiTect is produced.

As shown in Figure 10, a somewhat similar arrangement of Venturi-shaped shroud may be employed in combination with an evaporator 85,

and an exteriorly positioned suction fan 86, adapted to draw air from, the interior of the easing, as indicated at 81, through the evaporator,

for discharge into the room. A Venturi-shaped' shroud 88,surrounding the fan 86 may be carried by the evaporator 85 or by the casing in which it is positioned. Thefan shaft 88 extends from the motor )0 through an appropriate opening inthe evaporator to-the outside, where the fan is mounted. It has been found that this arrange ment provided-an extremely efllcient and quiet indoor air circulating system for'room coolers,

since the air is not blown by the fandirectly against evaporator surfaces or grill work, but is drawn by suction through the evaporator and discharged, unimpeded, directly into the room.

Although the present. invention has been described with considerable particularity in this specification, by reference to'the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it must be understood that it'is not limited to the details I of construction shown and described, but includes all modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

' 1.. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a casing having a rear end wall open to external atmosphere; a condenser associated with said rear wail,='a compressor and a prime mover including I a driving shaftln the casing, a centrifugal fan houslnggpositioned exteriorly of said rear wall having-an axial inlet and a downwardly directed peripheral "dischargeiopening, said housing providing a trough in the bottom thereof, below and laterally ofthe discharge opening, a centrifugal fan on said driving shaft inthe casing, a conduit for hot refrigerant leading from the compressor to the condenser and including a section associated with said fan housing and in heat exchange relation to said trough, and means for delivering water to the trough for evaporation by the heat of the refrigerant in said conduit.

2. An air cooling and conditioning unit comprising casing means defining a chamber for the hot side of a refrigerating system, the chamber having openings in its rear wall, a condenser-substantially filling one opening, a centrifugal fan and fan housing positioned exteriorly of the other opening, a compressor in the casing. a prime mover for the compressor and the fan. and a conduit for hot refrigerant leading from the compressor to the condenser and including a section disposed in heat exchange relation to the fan housing and to the air discharged centrifugally against its surfaces by the fan.

3. An air cooling and conditioning unit comprising casing means defining a chamber for the hot side of a refrigerating system, the chamber having openings in its rear wall, a condenser substantially filling one opening, a centrifugal fan and fan housing positioned exteriorly of the other opening, a compressor in the casing, a prime mover having a, drive shaft connected to the compressor, a centrifugal fan in said housing on said shaft, and a conduit for hot refrigerant leading from the compressor to the condenser and including a section extending along a serpentine path arranged circumferentially around the inner surface of the fan housing in position to be contacted directly by the air discharged centrifugally by the fan. I

4. An air cooling and conditioning unit comprising casing means defining lower and upper chambers isolated from each other for the hot and cold sides of a refrigerating system, the lower chamber having openings in its rear wall, a condenser substantially filling one opening, a

I. In an air conditioning apparatus, .an evaporator casing having openings in its endwalls communicating'with the room to be cooled, evaporatorsin the casing substantially co-extensive in width therewith positioned behind the openings and inclined downwardly from the upper margins of the end wall openings to the floor of the casing,

and a fan in the space between the evaporatora for drawing air inwardly through the end wall openings and the evaporators and for discharging the name into the room.

8. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a casing, a compressor and refrigerant condenser therein, a fan for circulating air into the casing over the condenser and the compressor and out of the casing, a gasoline engine prime mover in the casing, and a murder therefor, disposed to discharge the exhaust gases into the air stream propelled from the casing by the fan.

9. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a casing, a compressor and'refrigerant condenser therein, a centrifugal fan and fan housing associated with said casing for drawing condenser cooling air through the condenser and into the casing, said fan housing having an axial inlet and a peripheral discharge, a gasoline engine in the casing for driving the compressor, and an exhaust muiiler for the engine arranged to deliver exhaust gases to said axial inlet for discharge from the casing with the outgoing condenser cooling air stream.

10. An air conditioning unit for use with a motor vehicle having a passenger seat, a panel therebehind having openings therein, and a lugcentrifugal fan and fan housing positioned exteriorly of the other opening, said fan housing having an axial inlet and a tangentially disposed, downwardly directed discharge passage and a trough at the bottom of the housing laterally of the discharge passa e, a compressor in the lower chamber, a conduit for hot refrigerant leading from the compressor to the condenser and including a section disposed in heat exchange relation to the housing and said trough, evaporator means in the upper chamber, and a conduit for water oi condensation leading therefrom to said trough.

5. An air cooling and conditioning apparatus comprising a casing having openings in its rear wall, a condenser substantially filling one opening and extending outwardly therebeyond, a centrifugal fan and fan housing disposed exterioriy of another opening and adapted to draw air through the first-mentioned opening, the condenser and the casing, axially into the housing and to discharge the same tangentially therefrom in a downward direction, a compressor in the casing, a prime mover for the compressor and the fan, and a supplemental an-gularly disposed condenser positioned between the first-mentioned condenser and the compressor, in the path of the air flowing through the casing. I

6. An air conditioning unit comprising a casing having openings in its end walls and. a central opening in its top wall, a pair of evaporators in the casing, disposed on upwardly diverging inclined planes behind the end wall openings, and a fan and fan motor in the casing in the space between the two evaporators, below the top wall opening and adapted to draw air inwardly through the end wall openings and the evaporators and to discharge the same upwardly through the top wall opening.

gage compartment below the panel, said unit being adapted to be positioned in said compartment and comprising a casing having openings in its oppositeside walls and another opening in its top wall, evaporator means in the casing, a pair of ducts connected to openings in said panel adjacent the opposite ends thereof and to the side wall casing openings. another duct connected to a; central opening in the panel and to the casing top wall opening, and air circulating means in said casing arranged to draw air from the vehicle interior through the first mentioned panel openings into the casing, past the evaporator means and to discharge the same through the casing top wall opening and the central panel opening.

11. An air conditioning unit for use with a motor vehicle having a passenger seat, a panel behind said seat spanning the space between the seat and the body walls, and a luggage compartment below the panel, said unit comprising cas-, ing means defining lower and upper chambers for the hot and cold sides of a refrigerating system, a compressor, a condenser and an air circulating fan in the first chamber, ducts extending through the floor of said luggage compartment for the circulation of condenser and compressor cooling air through that chamber, an evaporator and a fan in the other chamber, and ducts leading through openings in said panel for the circulation of air from the interior of the vehicle through the secondchamber and the evaporator and back into the vehicle. I 1

12. An air conditioning apparatus adapted to be positioned in the rear luggage compartment of a vehicle, comprising a casing. a refrigerant compressor and condenser in the casing, air circulating means, "ducts extending through the door of the luggage compartment below the vehicle, and flexible connections between said ducts and the casing,' for the circulation cooling air therethroug'h. I

13. An air-conditioning apparatus adapted to 'be positioned in the rear luggage-compartment of a motor vehicle, comprising a casing having openings in one of its walls, a condenser substantially filling one of said openings, a downwardly opening hood disposed exteriorly of the casing and covering the last mentioned opening, a centrifugal fan housing disposed exteriorly of the other opening and having an axial inlet and a downwardly directed peripheral discharge passage, a fan in said housing, a compressor in the casing, a gasoline engine prime mover for the compressor, a forwardly facing conduit extendof condenser sage, respectively, are flexible detachable connections, facilitating remov'alof the casing without removal of the'conduits.

ing through the floor of the luggage compartment and connected to the hood, and a rearwardly facing conduit extending through said floor and connected to the fan housing discharge passage.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 characterized in that the connections between said conduits and the hood and discharge pas- RICHARD F. ROPER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references file of this patent: I UNITED sums PATENTS Ames Oct. 16, 1945 are of record in the 

